A couple of months ago I was trying to install Linux Mint 13 Mate edition into my Dell Optiplex SX, (yes, I know its old as dirt, but it was a gift!) and sometime during the installation I would get an error message.
I would have a picture of that message but it was in the phone that I lost hours ago 
.
It did say something like the Hard drive was old and that as a result it wouldn’t be able to install the Operating System. I had burned the .iso file onto two separate DVDs just in case I made a mistake with one. Yet, neither one would do what it was told.
“errno 5 – input/output error” when trying to install
To be honest, I thought that was absolutely stupid so I tried it again and again, and again. I even made an installation USB drive with Unetbootin in and tried it again cause if at first you don’t succeed……..
Yes! you guessed it, I tried again, although it took a lot for me to keep that PC back in one piece afterwards.
So, yesterday after finally getting out of the house…..(Thanks Sandy!!!!!) I sat and wondered why oh why oh why?, while online and looked up the problem. As it turns out I wasn’t the only one.
No I am not singing that song.
So, I came across tips that would get things going the way I wanted and one was to remove some of the memory install the desired OS and then put the memory back in. I didn’t do that.
So now you’re probably wondering what I did do and not what do I do, so I will tell you. What I decided to do was to take a Live DVD that I had from a magazine called Linux User and Developer, and to try an older version of Linux Mint. Linux Mint 10 to be exact, and it worked!
Now all I would have to do would be to install the codecs and I could even upgrade to the DVD version, once I connected to the internet.
Why would I have to upgrade to the DVD version? Why didn’t it already have every thing already? Well it’s because it wasn’t just a Live DVD with only one Operating system to try but there was four to choose from.
So with four to choose from, there wasn’t room to fit everything in.
This was fine of course as I was simply happy to have something finally work for me with but I tell ya……that guy Erno is a real jerk!!!
“If at first you don’t succeed….”
Hate the fact those Linux magazines cost so much, like a fiver here in UK! I do not need a smeggin’ “free” CD/DVD as have good internet connection, still maybe I’m wrong?
They are pretty expensive which is why i don’t buy them that often. I mean one could make a multiboot live USB and it could be cheaper than the magazine. In my area, i can get a 16 GB USB drive for about $9.00 for example.